Skinwalkers
by Charlyne
Summary: As alpha male, it is Darien's duty to protect the pack. When a pack member goes feral and attacks a young woman, Darien is shocked to find that she is his mate. Now Serena will become one of them and have to learn to live as a skinwalker.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is copyright (c) 1992 Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI animation. English Language Adaptation copyright (c) 1995 DiC Entertainment.

* * *

Note:  
I am going to be using the North American names for the characters, as the story will take place in North America. Sailormoon characters included in this story are Serena and Darien (these two are the romantic focus, of course), the Inner Senshi--Raye, Lita, Amy, and Mina--and the Generals.

The names that I chose for the Generals are:  
Jadeite - Jason  
Nephrite - Nicholas  
Zoisite - Zachary  
Kunzite - Kaden

Now, on with the story.

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Skinwalkers: Chapter 1  
Charlyne

Another feral on the loose. Darien swore softly to himself and looked out the window. His office was on the fortieth floor and the twinkling lights of the city were spread out before him. A knock on the door heralded the arrival of Darien's beta, Kaden. They would have to go out hunting tonight. Clenching his hand tightly, Darien battled the urge to slam his fist into the wall. He was tired of hunting his own kind, no matter how crucial it was. But, as alpha, it was his job to hunt and destroy those in his pack who went feral. It was every alpha's duty to ensure that their pack remained hidden. If the humans found out about their existence, not only the lycans would suffer persecution, but all skinwalkers would be in danger as well.

They had known that Connor was getting close. He had been spending all of his time in his wolf form, letting his mind become dominated by that of the wolf. All skinwalkers had to balance their animal and human sides and if they spent all of their time in their animal form they would eventually have their human mind overtaken, causing them to go feral. A skinwalker who refused the change for too long would find that it forcibly overtook them and they would have no control over their animal side, also causing them to go feral. Unlike the true wolf, who rarely attacked humans, feral lycans actively sought humans as their prey.

If they left the office now, they could probably head Conner off before he hurt anyone. The village that the pack lived in was a little over an hour drive from the city, but, as a lycan, their talents included incredible speed which would allow Connor to travel the distance in nearly half the time.

"Did anyone follow him from the village?" Darien asked.

Kaden nodded. "Yes, Jason and Nicholas both went after him. Zachary is still working in his office."

"If Jason and Nick can catch up with him, they may stop him before he makes it to the city. Hopefully, Connor won't take any side trips and devour one of the neighbors."

Kaden's lips quirked up marginally before his face regained its aloof mask. "Jason and Nicholas are good hunters." _But not the best._ The last was unsaid, but they both knew it to be true. As alpha and beta, Darien and Kaden were the most skilled hunters in the pack.

"Go drag Zack away from his computer and meet me at the back door, then we can lock up the office and leave. If Connor makes it to the city, us three will be here to help track him down."

With a curt nod, Kaden turned and left the room. The large office building was all but deserted, all of the employees that were not pack members had already gone home. The lights in the hallways were dim, but Kaden had no trouble seeing in the dark. Most of the pack who worked at Elysian Entertainment stayed late. The company was their livelihood and each member of the pack had a stake in its success. Taking the elevator down from the fortieth floor where the executive offices were, Kaden descended to the thirty-second floor and turned toward the finance department.

As CFO of the growing company, Zachary had one of the most important jobs. He had to make sure they didn't go over budget with their projects and keep the company bringing in a profit. Engrossed in the financial program on the computer screen, Zachary didn't even glance up at Kaden when he entered the room. Growling softly, Kaden let the other man know that he did not appreciate the disrespect. Zack immediately looked at the beta, then dropped his gaze.

"We have to go out hunting tonight. Connor went feral," Kaden said.

Zack cursed softly, then saved his data and shut down the computer. He was probably one of the weakest hunters, but knew that Darien liked for him to come along for other reasons. He had a mind for strategy and tactics and knew his intelligence helped in the hunt just as much as the brute strength of the others did.

The three men met on the ground floor of the building, then walked out together after setting the security codes. The night was clear, but the scent of the air was rank with pollutants. They hated the city, as the smells, sounds, and lights were an assault on their highly developed senses. Ferals were drawn to the city because of the overabundance of human prey, but the city gave a wolf very few places to hide. Hunting was difficult in the city, but if a human did happen to see one of the wolves, they usually thought they had just seen a large dog.

Walking across the parking lot, Darien, Kaden, and Zachary entered the stand of trees on the far side of their property. The scent of humans was absent, telling the men that they could change and not be seen. Stripping off his clothing, Darien looked over at his pack mates and nodded. He felt the wolf crawl beneath his skin, the other being that he shared his soul with aching for freedom. Letting the change overtake him, he felt his bones crack and reshape, his muscles reform, his jaw ached slightly as a snout protruded and a faint itching sensation told him that fur had erupted over his body. Now on all fours, he looked over at the other two wolves standing at his side. Kaden's fur was pure white, the exact opposite of Darien's jet black. Zack still stood in his human form. It would be his job to follow them in the car so they would have clothes when they changed back.

They couldn't use their human voices as wolves, but as animals they had a psychic link to each other. They had tried to use this link in human form, but it seemed to only work after the change. Darien sought out the mental path for the two wolves following Connor. _Where are you? Have you intercepted Connor?_

Nicholas answered. _No, we lost him just before entering the city._ His voice was brusque, angry. _We'll be at Elysian soon._

A low growl voiced Darien's displeasure. He updated the other two to the situation while waiting for Nick and Jason. The sound of soft footsteps padding through the woods announced the arrival of the other two wolves. A tawny wolf stepped out the the dense shadows followed by a brown wolf. Both wolves approached Darien with their ears laid back and bodies low to the ground to show their submission.

_Let's go,_ he told them. As one, the four wolves took off through the woods while Zach retreated to the vehicle. Keeping to the shadows, they followed the scent of humans. The strongest concentration of them would lure the feral wolf, but any human he came across was in the greatest danger.

They caught Connor's scent as they passed a medical complex. The smell of disease and death mingled with that of new life. Although there was a great deal of humans in the area, most were ill. Even a feral wolf wouldn't attack an ill human, the healthy ones were just as easy to catch.

The four wolves fanned out, searching the complex. Connor's scent was strong, they knew he was either still in the area or had just passed through. Darien's gut was telling him that Connor was here. They had to find Connor before he attacked someone.

A scream rent the silence of the night. Darien felt his heart stop for a moment, then start pounding. They were too late.

_Around the back,_ Darien snapped, running toward the back end of the complex. The parking lot was nearly empty of cars, the building that extended off the back of the main hospital was dark with only a few lights burning inside. Another scream ripped through the night and Darien could hear the tearing of flesh. _Hurry!_

Rounding the corner of the building, all four wolves raced toward the smell of blood. A bloody, crumpled heap lay completely still under the body of a wolf. The wolf snarled at his approaching pack mates, his hackles raised. Without slowing, Darien attacked, going for the other wolf's throat. Teeth gripped fur and flesh, but were shaken off. Darien again attacked, his powerful jaws easily snapping the other wolf's front leg. Going in for the kill, Darien's teeth closed down on Connor's neck. It was over quickly. Darien couldn't help but feel pity for his former pack mate. Connor had never been a fighter and had retreated to his wolf form to escape the loss of his mate.

Darien quickly scouted the area to make sure there were no other humans around. They had to change back to human form, but they would be naked and the last thing they needed was for someone to call the cops on them for indecent exposure. A black car rolled into the parking lot and Zack jumped out.

_Take care of the bodies,_ Darien told the three wolves. He felt his body shift as the change once again overtook him. He pulled on the clothes Zack handed him and looked sadly down at the dead wolf, then ran his fingers through his hair in agitation.

"Darien, she's still alive."

Darien's head jerked around and he stared at Zack, disbelieving. "How serious are her injuries?" He hurried over to where the blond-haired man bent over the small, mangled human. Blood pooled around her body, saturating the air with its sickly-sweet smell. Another scent, faint but unmistakable, found its way to Darien's nose. Frowning, Darien inhaled deeply, then took a step closer to the human. It didn't seem possible.

"She needs medical attention now, or she may die," Zack responded.

Darien growled, unable to prevent the primitive sound. "She will not die."

Four shocked pairs of eyes stared at him.

"Get your hands off of her, Zack. Now!"

Zack quickly backed away from the prone girl. Nick, Kaden, and Jason all watched Darien with looks of astonishment.

"Get her to the car!" Darien snarled over his shoulder. Even though they were right next to a hospital, they couldn't take her there. The savage wounds could be explained as a dog attack, but the abnormalities that were already beginning to replicate in her bloodstream would be much more difficult to explain away. If she lived through this, she would be one of them.

Darien looked up at Zack, dark blue eyes at once angry and haunted. "She must not die. She is my mate."

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Author's Note:  
Well, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of my story. Please let me know what you think. Sorry for any typos or if something doesn't make sense, just let me know and I'll fix it. I'll explain more about Serena's scent and how Darien knew she was his mate later.

07/08/2004  
_Edited 11/21/2005 _


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is copyright (c) 1992 Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI animation. English Language Adaptation copyright (c) 1995 DiC Entertainment.

Skinwalkers: Chapter 2  
Charlyne

_Uneasiness prickled over Serena's skin. She felt as though she were being watched, hunted. Shaking her head, Serena berated herself,_ You're being ridiculous. There's no one here but you, now lock up and go home.

_Gathering her things from her desk, Serena cursed herself for agreeing to finish the report tonight. She could have told Dr. Anderson that she would have it completed by Monday. Instead, she had agreed to spend her Friday night locked inside the medical research facility studying data._

_Flinging her purse over her shoulder, Serena fished her keys out of the pocket of her suit and grabbed her briefcase. At the front door, Serena paused to input the security code and make one more visual sweep of the building. The facility was silent, the doors to the labs locked tightly._

_With a sigh, Serena pushed the heavy doors open, then turned and fitted her key into the lock. The night was warm, perfect for sitting out on her apartment balcony with a glass of wine. She could pick up one of those gourmet meals from Callisto on her way home and enjoy a quiet evening by herself._

_A low, menacing growl alerted her to the danger she was in. Slowly turning, Serena saw the wolf, its lips pulled back in a snarl._

A wolf? No, that can't be right. It has to be a very large dog, one that resembles a wolf. Like a siberian husky, _Serena thought._ There are no wolves in the city.

_The growling became louder as the animal advanced. Serena stood frozen next to the door, her heart pounding so rapidly she thought she would surely have a heart attack._

_"Good doggy," she said softly, edging her hand toward the door. If she could get the door unlocked and get inside she would be safe. Whirling, Serena scrambled to get her key into the lock. The keys jangled loudly in her trembling hands, then slipped to land with a clang on the cement porch._

_Warm breath fanned her neck before she felt hard, vicious teeth rip into her shoulder. Serena screamed and felt herself fall backward. Her head smacked the pavement, causing tiny pinpoints of light to dance in her vision. Warm liquid slid over her skin and Serena felt the animal's teeth sink deeper into her shoulder._

_Suddenly, the dog released her and looked away, ears perked up as it looked toward the side of the building. _Oh, God, don't let anyone else be coming, _Serena prayed. She didn't want anyone else to be harmed by the bloodthirsty animal. Using the dog's apparent inattention to her advantage, Serena pushed herself to her feet with her uninjured arm and began to run. She didn't make it very far before she felt her leg ripped out from beneath her. Screaming, Serena tumbled to the ground. The animal seemed to be in a frenzy, it's attack escalating. The parking lot seemed to swim before her eyes, the lights dancing in circles, then dimming until black filled her vision._

Serena jerked awake, then moaned in pain. She felt like someone had been playing piñata with her--or like she'd been attacked by a huge monstrosity of a dog. Serena closed her eyes again and took a deep breath. Where was she? It definitely wasn't a hospital, although she felt an IV in her arm. She opened her eyes again and looked around. The room was cozy, with pale green walls and soft, gauzy curtains covering a large picture window. The bed she was on was comfortable and the furniture that she could see was well-used, the wood polished to a high shine.

Footsteps approached the room and the door slowly eased open. A brunette stuck her head into the room, then smiled brightly at Serena when she saw that her patient was awake. "I'm Lita," the woman said as she entered the room. "You really gave us a scare, we thought we'd lose you for sure."

"Where am I?" Serena asked hoarsely. Her throat felt raw.

"The village. This is my house--well, mine and my mate's. You've been here for three days," Lita replied.

Serena frowned. "What village? Why wasn't I taken to a hospital?"

"We take care of our own, especially the alpha's mate."

"That's enough, Lita."

Serena looked toward the door to see a tall man enter the room. His dark hair was disheveled as if he'd been running his hands through it for hours and he looked exhausted. Lita bowed her head to the man and left the room quickly, saying that she'd return in a few minutes with some food.

Darien sat on the chair that was next to the bed and drank in the sight of his mate. She had a white bandage wrapped around her head, her long blond hair a tangled mess. He knew that more bandages were wrapped around her waist and both of her legs. Connor had torn her apart pretty badly, but lucky for her he hadn't ripped out her throat.

Very few people lived through a skinwalker attack and those who did would become a skinwalker themselves. The virus strain in their saliva would travel through the bloodstream, replicating and growing until it began to take over the person's body. She was fortunate that she'd slept through the conversion; he'd been told by those who'd been bitten that it felt like fire burning through their veins.

There were two types of skinwalkers, those who were Born, and those who were Made. Made skinwalkers were humans that had been bitten by a skinwalker, Born skinwalkers had at least one parent who was a skinwalker and had been passed skinwalker DNA instead of human. In his case, he had been Born a lycan skinwalker.

Darien could hardly believe that he'd found his true mate. Very few skinwalkers ever found their true mate--it was so rare it was practically a myth. But scents don't lie and the moment he'd smelled that elusive, intoxicating scent he'd known that she was his. Clearing his throat, Darien introduced himself. "I'm Darien Shields."

"Serena Chander." This was getting too weird. What was going on here? "Look, Mr. Shields, I really think I ought to be in a hospital."

Darien shook his head. "They would only cause more problems. Besides, you're nearly healed."

"What are you talking about? There's no possible way that I could be healed." Her head was beginning to pound. She didn't quite feel like herself, she had the strange feeling of something crawling under her skin, trying to get out. Serena rubbed her hands over her arms.

"Serena, listen to me." Darien grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently. If she got any more agitated she could inadvertently trigger the change. "You need to calm down. You're not healed enough to change, you'll end up hurting yourself." Darien dragged his hand through his hair and sighed. There was nothing to do but come right out and say it. "Serena, the night you were attacked--"

"You mean that dog?" Serena interrupted.

"It wasn't a dog."

Serena raised one blond eyebrow in question. "It was a damn big cat."

Darien frowned at her. "This is no time to joke, mate. I'm trying to be serious. You were not attacked by a dog, you were attacked by a lycan." When all he got was a blank stare, Darien stated dryly, "Lycans are commonly known as werewolves."

"A werewolf?" Serena sighed. The man was beautiful, but disturbed. Why were all the good ones either taken, gay, or certifiable? "Right."

Growling, Darien forced himself not to shake Serena again. Most humans didn't believe in lycans, her skepticism was expected. Why couldn't Fate have gifted him with a Born skinwalker? He could already tell that Serena was going to be difficult. "Serena, he bit you. Hell, he damn near tore you apart. You were infected. You slept through the conversion--you're a lycan now."

Serena scoffed. "So the next full moon I'll get down on all fours and start howling?"

"No." Darien rubbed his hands over his eyes, a sure sign that he was getting frustrated. "That's just a myth. We can change any time we want, the moon has nothing to do with it."

"We?"

"Everyone in this village is a lycan. There are thousands of were-creatures in the world, we call ourselves skinwalkers. Being infected by the retrovirus in our saliva causes your DNA to change to that of a lycan." Darien sighed. "It's complicated."

"Darien, I work in a medical lab. I may not be a doctor, but I still know that what you're saying is impossible."

"Trust me, it's very possible." Darien frowned at her. She wasn't going to believe him until he proved it to her. Darien felt the familiar stirring deep inside, the wolf side of him coming to the fore. His body reshaped, fur sprouting over him.

Serena's eyes widened in shock and horror. Where Darien had been a moment before, a black wolf now stood. It gazed up at her with intelligent dark blue eyes--eyes the same shade as Darien's.

"Oh, God." Serena felt her head start to spin, then the world faded to black once again.

* * *

Author's Note:  
Wow, thanks everyone for the great reviews! How could I not hurry with writing this chapter? I can't promise that I'll always be this quick to post a new chapter (my track record speaks for itself), but I'm going to try. I just want to note that if you e-mail me, please write in the subject the story title so that I don't delete it. If I don't respond to your e-mail for a long time it was probably deleted and I'm sorry. :-)

Anyway, let me know what you think about the chapter, as usual. Any comments, suggestions, or ideas are welcome.

07/10/2004  
_Unedited_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Sailor Moon is copyright (c) 1992 Naoko Takeuchi/Kodansha, TOEI animation. English Language Adaptation copyright (c) 1995 DiC Entertainment.

Skinwalkers: Chapter 3  
Charlyne

Serena woke up angry. _This fainting thing is getting tedious. I've never fainted in my life, now I pass out twice in one week. At least I have a good excuse for it._ Serena closed her eyes and played back the memory of Darien changing into a wolf. It shouldn't have been possible, but she had seen it with her own eyes. However, it didn't prove that _she_ could now turn into a wolf.

She didn't want to open her eyes. She would either see a crazed, drooling wolf mad for her flesh, or a strange, handsome man that she somehow felt drawn to. _You can't ignore him forever,_ Serena told herself. _Just open your eyes and get it over with._ Taking a deep breath, Serena cracked open her eyes. A black wolf still stood where Darien had been, silently watching her. It neither looked mad, nor was drooling. She took that as a good sign.

"Er, Mr. Shields--Darien--, could you please change back?" It was a bit disconcerting to talk to a wolf, especially one that you knew could understand you. Could he speak to her in that form or did he and the other werewolves use howling and such to communicate? It was fascinating, really. But knowing they existed and being interested in learning about them didn't mean that she wanted to be one.

Skin began to replace fur as Darien's body reshaped. The transformation looked painful and Serena had no wish to experience it herself. It was only when Darien was once again standing in front of her as a human that she remembered his clothes shredding as he changed into a wolf. Serena quickly covered her eyes with her hands, although not before getting a healthy glimpse of his body. Blushing bright red, she demanded, "Put some clothes on, for God's sake!"

Darien grinned at Serena's embarrassment."Why? No one here is overly concerned about nudity. I'm sure you'll get used to it."

"You people just prance around here naked all the time?" She still had her hands held firmly over her eyes.

His grin widening, Darien replied, "Yeah. We can change easier and we don't ruin a lot of clothes that way. None of the girls seem to mind the view." The lie was told easily, though the part about it being easier to change was true. The only time anyone in the village went around naked was after a hunt or a celebration where they all changed.

Serena choked. _None of the girls seemed to mind, huh? The arrogant braggart!_ She beat down the feelings of jealousy that she couldn't explain. All those women werewolves could have him--she didn't even know him, or like him!

"Serena, I brought you some..." Lita trailed off as she entered the room. Serena was lying in bed, her hands covering her bright red face, while Darien stood completely nude next to the bed. She'd obviously interrupted something. "I'm sorry, I'll bring this back later."

"No!" Serena nearly jumped out of the bed to catch Lita. The twinges of pain she felt as soon as she moved made her rethink that idea, though. "Don't leave, Lita."

Lita stopped and turned back around, keeping her eyes averted from Darien. "I didn't know if you would be up to eating a big meal so I brought you some soup. If you're still hungry I can make you more." She approached the bed on the opposite side of Darien and placed a tray over Serena's lap.

Whispering, Serena asked Lita, "Does he always walk around naked?"

Lita shook her head. "No. And if he doesn't put some clothes on my mate won't be very happy."

Darien chuckled, then left the room. He returned moments later wearing a pair of pants that were slightly too small for him. "Tell Nick I'll give his pants back later," he said to Lita.

Taking a seat on the edge of Serena's bed, Darien watched her as she tasted the soup. He didn't care that she kept shooting him half-fearful, half-annoyed looks. He heard Lita leave the room and close the door behind her, but never took his eyes off his mate. _His mate._ It was still amazing to him.

"Will you stop staring at me?" Serena demanded.

Darien smirked. He liked to get her temper riled, it proved that she would be the perfect alpha female--she wouldn't put up with crap from anyone. "You're my mate, I can stare at you whenever I want."

"Your mate? What do you mean?" Serena asked suspiciously. She had a feeling she wouldn't like his reply.

"Wolves mate for life. Once we choose a mate--or find our true mate--it's forever." He didn't want to sound sappy, but he wanted her to understand that she had no choice, they were a mated pair now. "You're my true mate, and as such are the alpha female of the pack."

She knew she wasn't going to like it. "You can't just decide that I'm your mate without my permission. And you can't force me to be this alpha female thing, whatever that is. I'm not even one of your kind!" Serena scowled at him. She wasn't going to admit even to herself that she felt different than before she'd been attacked. She refused to acknowledge the other being that she seemed to be sharing her soul with now. Besides, Darien had said nothing about love, and she wouldn't be any man's mate for life without love.

"I didn't 'just decide', it wasn't my choice. It just _is_." He shook his head. Lord, this girl was stubborn. "I'll teach you how to change your form once you're healed."

_I don't want to change my form, I don't want to be different. I just want to go back to my life and pretend like nothing happened._ Serena felt tears gather in her eyes, but wouldn't let them fall. Crying never solved any problems. Getting mad, however, always made her feel better. Her eyes flashed silver as anger overcame her sadness. "Why did you do this to me?" she yelled. Serena felt her skin begin to itch, her bones ached.

Serena was one of the most frustrating people Darien had ever met. One minute she was smart-mouthing him, then she looked like she was going to cry, now she was so angry she was starting to cause herself to change. He needed to distract her. Leaning forward, Darien cupped the back of her neck with his hand and pulled her toward him. Darien saw her eyes widen with surprise right before he sealed his lips to hers. The kiss was hard, possessive. His tongue swept into her mouth, tasting her. He felt her hands come up and press against his chest, as if trying to push him away, then grip his shirt tightly. Breathing heavily, Darien sat back.

Dazed, Serena looked at Darien with a mixture of shock and amazement. The only thought she could seem to assimilate was, _Werewolves are good kissers._

* * *

Author's Note:  
Sorry it took me so long to get this out, everyone. I did warn you about my track record, though. I left an update on my profile for anyone who's interested, and I'll continue to leave any updates there. Things have been hectic at work. Anyway, since I don't have an editor or anyone to bounce ideas off of and get me moving, it may take me a while to complete chapters.

I am interchanging lycan and werewolf because Serena relates to the word werewolf whereas Darien and the other skinwalkers use lycan.

Enough excuses. Thanks for reading and let me know what you think.

07/29/2004  
_Unedited_


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